Unpacking The Con

As is the custom in the Coover/Tobin household, the week that was San Diego Comic-Con 2009 was followed by days of wandering about with a dazed look of confusion on our faces, stepping around the still-full-of-stuff suitcases left on the floor until we have the energy to put everything away. The period of post-con limbo was extended this year by a massive heat wave over the city of Portland, forcing us to spend most of the past five days in the air conditioned Periscope Studio. But now, it’s time to unpack.

The con went supremely well; I did more con sketches at my table than ever before (I think I’m getting the hang of it, after 9 years of convention-going!) My attempts to use technology to update my locations during the show met with limited success, thanks to spotty internet connections– I’ll be cleaning out all those Twittered posts cluttering up the blog today. And while we spent most of our evenings passing out from exhaustion, we did manage to fit in time for socializing with our colleagues from around the globe.

Among others met for the first time, the Japanese art team GuriHiru, Supergirl artist Jamal Igle, Wildstorm editor Ben Abernathy, writers Paul Benjamin, Stuart Moore and Chris Roberson, and uber-colorist Laura Martin.

Catching-up was done with Dennis Calero, Sanford Greene, Cameron Stewart (who has convinced me that I need to learn to use Manga Studio) Marjorie Liu, Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Jamie McKelvie (who I saw for half a second before being distracted by something at my table, and when I looked up again, was gone. Sorry if I snubbed you, Jamie!) There were many, many others.

Total failure to even glimpse a distant figure of old friends was achieved with Darwyn Cooke, who I wanted to congratulate on the resounding success of his Parker GN; and Lark Pien, whose paintings were beautiful as always, and whose new Long Tail Kitty hardcover will be mine. (Oh yes it will.)

So there it is. The con has been unpacked. And now to unpack our luggage as well.